Profession screen printer

Screen printers tend a press that presses ink through a screen. Industrial screen printing is often used to print on materials that are hard to use with other processes, like rigid plastic surfaces.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Printing on large scale machines

  Methods, processes, and restrictions related to printing on machines that produce large quantities and sizes of graphic print materials.

• Quality standards

  The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

• Screen printing inks

  Various types of screen ink, such as solvent, water, water plastisol, and UV curable ink solutions.

• Screen printing process

  This consists of preparing the screen or image carrier, squeegee, and the ink. During this process, ink is pressed through a screen on a certain surface.

• Printing techniques

  The techniques and processes to reproduce text and images using a master form or template such as letterpress printing, gravure, and laser printing.

Skills

• Operate screen printing press

  Operate a screen printing press to fabricate multiple copies of the designed screen, increasing production significantly.

• Supply machine

  Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

• Prepare screen printing

  Prepare a screen for printing by applying the photo emulsion technique, where an original image is created on an overlay and the inked areas are not transparent. Select a screen, coat it with a certain emulsion by using a squeegee and expose the print after putting it in a dry room, leaving a negative stencil of the image on the mesh.

• Adjust drying process to goods

  Adjust machine settings to adapt drying processes, drying times, and special treatments to the requirements of the goods to be dried.

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Prepare printing form

  Prepare and inspect plates that are used in printing process to transfer ink on the desired surface and place them in the machines, for example fixing them around printing rollers.

• Monitor automated machines

  Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

• Perform test run

  Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

• Follow production schedule

  Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.

• Determine colour shades

  Determine and use the correct colour to be applied to a surface, according to requirements, by using instruments and software.

• Use doctor blade

  Use a doctor blade to remove the excess of ink during printing and coating processes.

• Follow safety precautions in printing

  Apply safety and health principles, policies and institutional regulations of working in printing production. Protect oneself and others against such hazards as chemicals used in printing, invasive allergens, heat, and disease causing agents.

• Clean equipment

  Perform cleaning routines after equipment use.

• Set up the controller of a machine

  Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB